An Undead Glitch

A LitRPG Nightmare (Patch 1.0 of The Corrupted Campaign)

By: Chris Philbrook

Narrated by: Steve Van Samson

Seth Willard is broke, sick, and running out of time.

A single dad drowning under bills and a cancer diagnosis, his last chance comes from a desperate gamble: taking a job as an NPC in a real world, fully immersive zombie survival experience. The nanites injected into his body that will project the game’s experience into his senses will also cure his cancer as he safely sells supplies to rich players out killing monsters that aren’t really there.

At least, that’s the plan. His sense of humor ain't getting it done, that's for sure.

A glitch drops him into the streets of the game environment as a player instead, looted hatchet in hand, surrounded by the stench of decay and the teeth of the undead. The wounds, the hunger, the terror—it seems all too real. And if Seth dies here, he loses his job, the nanites shut down, and not long after…so does his real body.

But death isn’t the only danger. The deeper Seth fights into this popular “game,” the clearer it becomes: this isn’t just a job, and it isn’t just a harmless simulation. Someone built this world for more purposes than entertainment—and it holds terrors darker than the digital zombies clawing through its ruins.

Seth’s survival isn’t just about levelling up, gaining skills, and finding loot. It isn't about living another day in the game. It’s about uncovering the truth—and carving out a future for his sons and maybe a whole lot more people—before the glitch that should save him destroys him for good instead.

Fans of Chris Philbrook's 16 book long Adrian’s Undead Diary will love this fast-paced, raunchy LitRPG/GameLit zombie adventure packed with action, gore, sarcasm, a whole lot of heart, and a terrifying twist.

©2025 Chris Philbrook (P)2025 Chris Philbrook

Critic reviews

"I like video games, zombies and dystopian world building and this brings all three wrapped up into an old play style wrapper. The characters are fleshed out, their backstories are real and lived in. I really wish that there were more zombie fantasy out there and this brings it to life. The Undead Glitch feels like 'The Expanse, mixed with Dungeon Crawler Carl.' Super easy read, I started with the sample and had to demand the whole book!" (Michael Chatfield)

"I'm not typically a zombie fan, but litrpg and zombies mixed together by a master of the zombie horror? Yes, please." (Troy Osgood, author of Sky Realms Online, and The Connected System)

Can't Wait for More

I'd never heard of this writer or Litrpg but, I like zombies so I gave it a try. It was great. Funny, scary, zombie apocalypse mixed with a game and an interesting twist. I actually care about the characters and can't wait for more of this story. The narration was perfect for the story. I couldn't stop listening. The only thing I could've gone without was the numerous mentions of chubs and erections. It was funny once imo, after that not so much.

Easily my favorite litrpg

It's hard not to gush about this book. The protagonist is relatable, believable, and kind-on-purpose; the progression system is satisfyingly both grounded and mysterious; the story balances tension with outrageous humor; and the world feels... inviting. I especially love the sound effect details added for system notifications, little touches like that throughout the book really transform it from a story to an experience.
As noted by the author, this book probably isn't for everyone; but in my heavily biased opinion, this book was written for me. Thanks Chris! Can't wait to hear more about Tubthumper! sorry for all the semicolons.

I like stories. I am terrible at book reviews

so far, I am 3 or so hours in. the narrator rocks. it has been fun, exciting and deep. I love the easter eggs that Mr.Philbrook tosses in. (I was laughing hard at one🤣) I am biased, as he is my favorite author. but his stories are fun, compelling and very realistic, even in a fantasy realm..
the description is spot on. AUD (absolutely stellar) meets Dungeon Crawler Carl (also stellar)already I cannot wait to see where this series goes! Philbrook, great job sir!
once again, I suck at book reports. however, I highly recommend this!

Invested

I am not a Lit RPG person, so I approached this with excited interest as a loyal fan of the author. It took a little time to settle in, but I became immersed and invested in the story, and everything around the story. I am very happy with the many Easter eggs found throughout. Just work very well done by a proven good writer. Beyond that, I can't say enough about the audio. So much went into this and it is so well executed. All elements combine so well to create a fantastic piece that you just become invested in.

good litrpg, not overly complicated, fun setting

it definitely feels like dungeon crawler C, but still well done. good characters, with some potentially aggressive ones for the next book